One Step
one step to step back
one step to see who you are
if you like,
you can measure the distance
and see if you’ve come that far
because the past may be strange
in fact, almost too much
but my fuel is more than litres
because now, now i stand up
i’ve come a long way from the foetus
one step, to step back
to see if it’s really true
true that you have found the knack
the knack of being you
because i was pleased to taste the air
i know that even a prison has its doors
and i know you are in trouble
if you cannot see those anymore
so it’s good to know
that together we can design new doors
James Garratt – February 2003
More poems at
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/
More about this blog, The Boy Behind the Glasses, here
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/2020/01/08/the-boy-behind-the-glasses-an-introduction/
More poems from 2002 here
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/category/poems-and-writing-2002/
One Step – Written February 2002 (Aged 26)
The Boy Behind The Glasses. Poetry and Writing 
“but my fuel is more than litres
because now, now i stand up” … this almost sounds like a challenge. Such strength in this poem… mixed with hope. Beautiful.
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I think this whole period of writing is some of my favourite – not because I think it’s the best I’ve ever written. I just think at 26, I was at a point in my life where I was content but not yet too corrupted by life around me. I was in a great middle ground, and I think in my writing, this is really well reflected in the writing. So, in effect, I was starting to push back, I was starting to assert myself as a person. I also think there was an element of not knowing about my writing, it wasn’t too self conscious in itself. That’s something I have probably lost, because I can’t write and experience in complete ignorance now.
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What a beautiful thing to say about your past self. It is beautiful writing. As for your present self: of course you lost some of the qualities you had back then – we all do – but with growth come new abilities and new perspectives. Your writing is different now – and that us not a bad thing. It is just a different period of time. 🙂
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Absolutely – we can never stay the same. I was innocent but hopeful 🙂
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